blade or baker's lame, for scoring or a sharp and oiled small knife
Ingredients
90gsourdough starter (not active)use a starter that was last fed 10-12 hours earlier
385-390gfresh filtered water, room temperature, or slightly warm
520gbread flourorganic
2tspfine sea salt
Instructions
About 8-12 hours before you want to bake:
It's important to use a digital scale to make sure all the measurements are accurate.
Add a large mixing bowl to a digital scale and clear the weight (use the "tare" function) so it weighs zero. Measure out the sourdough starter. Tare the scale again to zero, and measure out the water. Remove the bowl from the scale.
Using a Dutch whisk, or something similar, mix the starter and water until it is milky and frothy and the starter is well combined.
Add the bowl back to the scale. Tare the weight to zero again. Add the flour.
Remove the bowl from the scale and add the salt. Using the same Dutch whisk gently combine the salt and flour before incorporating the liquid below the surface. Then, mix all the contents together until a shaggy and cohesive dough is formed. Note that the dough will be quite dry and hard to mix. Keep going, folding in the flour and pressing down, and mixing. It will come together in about a minute or two. If it doesn't come together at all, add the slightest amount of water and mix again.
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Keeping a small bowl of water nearby, wet your hand - and with one hand, do a set of stretch and folds. Picking up the dough from underneath and bringing it up and into the middle. Quarter turn the bowl and keep going until the dough starts to resist. I let the dough roll off the pads of my fingers so as not to tear. (see video technique #1).
Cover the bowl and wait 15 minutes.
Complete another set of stretch and folds in the exact same way. When the dough starts to resist, turn it over in the bowl. Cover the bowl with the damp towel again (so it doesn't dry out overnight), and place it in the oven TURNED OFF with just the oven light on. If your kitchen is warm, keep it covered on the counter, or if you have another warm area you prefer, use that.
Next will be a little trial and error to find out how long your dough needs to bulk ferment (rise)*. For me, it is ready at 9 hours, but will depend on many factors unique to your home and bread, plan on anywhere from 8-12 hours. (See notes to determine when it's ready).
When the dough is ready to bake:
Prepare a banneton or a large bowl with parchment paper, dust the bottom with flour. Set aside.
Uncover the dough bowl. The dough should be somewhat rounded, volumized, with visible bubbles. Do the poke test (see notes).
With slightly wet hands, gently help unstick the dough from the sides of the bowl. Slide your hands down the sides of the bowl
Gently reach under the center of the dough and lift it up and fold it down on to itself to preform a set of folds. Quarter turn the bowl and repeat. (see video technique #2).
Cover for 15 minutes with the damp towel and repeat one more set of folds -except when you quarter turn the bowl you will fold it over once (or twice if your dough feels it would benefit from another fold) then gently lift the dough and fold it onto itself in the parchment lined bowl.
Pinch the sides if any seams are visible and flour the surface. Place the bowl in the refrigerator. No need to cover.
Preheat the oven to 500 F. Place the empty Dutch oven inside the oven while it is heating with the lid securely on. Let the Dutch oven heat for an hour.
** See notes below. If considering a layer of foil below the Dutch oven to prevent the bottom of your bread from burning, add it after the Dutch oven has pre-heated.
Carefully remove the Dutch oven and take off the lid, it will be scorching hot. Take the dough bowl out of the refrigerator and score it (noting that a simple cross or slash works best on a wet dough as this).
Pick up the dough by the sides of the parchment paper and gently place it (parchment and dough) into the Dutch oven, taking care as it is extremely hot. A little bit of paper overhang is fine. Slightly open the scores a bit more if you prefer or put the Dutch oven lid back on and place it back into the hot oven.
Bake at 500 F. for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid. Reduce the heat to 450 F. and bake for another 25 minutes with the lid off.
Carefully remove the bread (noting that any charred parts of parchment will easily rip). Remove and discard the parchment and allow the bread to rest on a cooling rack for 2 hours.***
Notes
For reference, this recipe is based on an 87% hydration starter. * To know when the bulk fermentation has happened, you'll have to take into account if the dough has almost doubled in size (it doesn't have to double like traditional yeasted bread). Are there bubbles forming? Is it somewhat domed-shaped? Do a poke test - Some will say a floured finger works, but this is a very wet dough and a damp finger works best for me. Dampen your finger and lightly press it into the surface. Did the fingerprint make an indent and slowly come back to shape? It's ready. If the dough resists the push, it might need a little more time. Let it rest longer. Anything else, even if it's risen quite a bit, bake it.**To prevent burning the bottom of your bread consider adding a piece of foil to the rack below the Dutch oven to act as a heat buffer.***Resist the urge to cut into the hot bread. You'll hear crackling noises and that is a good sign of moisture settling. If you cut into the bread too soon the center will be gummy and your hard wok compromised. It will still be quite warm after 2 hours. Wrap the bread in a lightweight linen or tea towel when it is still same-day. Otherwise store the leftovers in a bread bag or plastic wrap.This is a flexible recipe, it allows for an increase in water weight too, if you think your recipe can handle that.